Analysis of the “Last Supper” painting
Lionardo di ser Piero da Vinci better known to us as “Leonardo Da Vinci” was born on 1452. This gifted person has been known as an inventor, cartographer, anatomist, engineer, botanist, architect, and sculptor; however, his work as a painter still captivates people. He lived during an era when printing had been in its initial stages; and it was only capable of printing texts. This put Leonardo in a dilemma because his research was not restricted to texts alone; but it also included a lot of scientific diagrams and pictures depicting his findings.
One of his most celebrated pieces of art is the “Last Supper”; painted during the late fifteenth century. Not only has Leonardo managed to captivate people with this painting; but he has also depicted a prime moment of history within a frame. The “Last Supper” was created within a time span of three years; which is consider a lesser amount of time one would consider the making of a masterpiece to take. This is also short compared to the level of procrastinating Leonardo Da Vinci did, while making his paintings. Currently, the painting lies in the solemnity of the Santa Maria delle Grazie Convent located in Milan, Italy.
The level of imagination that has been put into this masterpiece is simply astounding. The painting manages to capture the moment when Jesus announces that one of his twelve apostles are going to betray him. The detailed expression on the faces of each of the followers is simple amazing. He has managed to capture the expressions on the painting’s characters inherent in a fraction of one second. These expressions are mainly categorised by shock, outrage, surprise and even fear.
The characters depicted on the painting are drawn so intricately that one can even contemplate who must have been the conspirator amongst the followers. The painting also focuses on another key aspect predicted by Jesus; that the first person to share the bread with him will be the conspirator. The picture shows Judas and Jesus reaching out for the same piece of bread while the other characters seem distant. This further justifies his claim and the painting has done a spectacular job in highlighting this fact.
The painting has gone through significant restoration in order to preserve its beauty. Leonardo painted on dry plaster which gave him more time to paint the expression, which otherwise would not have been possible on wet plaster. The painting was first restored with the belief that it was made of oil medium in the year 1726 by Michelangelo Bellotti. He patched all the damaged parts and then covered them with plaster with the aim to restore them. Forty four years later the Bolognese sculptor Giuseppe Mazza started the second phase of the restoration; however could not survive in his efforts due to resistance from the public. The restorations evolved into recreations of the original painting instead of restoring the actual piece of art.
Even today; the masterpiece is competent enough to claim praises from across the globe. A lot of replicas of the masterpiece can be found throughout the world; whilst the original piece stays in Italy. The impact and the importance of this religious painting has been profound and it continues to intrigue enthusiasts.
References
1. Veltman, Kim. “Leonardo da Vinci- A review”. Project Muse: 381-388. August 2008.
